Representative Andy Allred outlines Central Utah Water Project options, urges planning for treated water

Andy Allred briefed the Council on the Central Utah Water Project, tracing its long history and current planning status. He said the planned enclosure of the Salem Canal is expected to conserve approximately 8,000 acre-feet of water annually and described a key unresolved question: whether water delivered to Juab County will be treated (potable) or raw (untreated).

Andy warned that treated water would carry a higher purchase cost but would spare Juab County from building a treatment plant, whereas receiving raw water would require significant local treatment infrastructure. He described one practical option for Rocky Ridge: receiving treated culinary water through Santaquin, with Rocky Ridge’s allocation credited to Santaquin and Santaquin delivering an equivalent treated supply back via a metered connection with chlorine monitoring and other controls. Andy provided a preliminary cost range for project water of $20,000 to $40,000 per acre-foot, noting these estimates remain conceptual and depend on alignment, right-of-way, and treatment choices.

Council members asked about timeline and growth implications; Andy said a companion pipeline from Santaquin to Nephi is under consideration with an anticipated completion around 2032 but called that date optimistic. He emphasized the committee’s priority to preserve local control over allocation decisions and indicated interlocal agreements would prohibit the direct sale of municipal allocations to private developers while allowing municipalities to transfer allocations among themselves.